1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical instrument equipped with a mechanism for moving a part or the whole of the optical instrument in order to view an object. The present invention also relates to an optical instrument equipped with, e.g., a focusing mechanism for adjusting a focal point of an optical system and a zoom drive mechanism for driving a zoom optical unit.
2. Related Background Art
In an operation-oriented microscope defined as one of optical instruments, a manipulation switch serves to manipulate the zoom drive mechanism for varying a magnification of a zoom optical system and an alignment mechanism for adjusting a relative position between the optical system and a viewed object. A foot switch manipulated by a foot of the operator and a voice-based input device have hitherto been employed as the manipulation switches. It is because both hands of the operator are occupied by operating tools during an operation, and the operator is therefore incapable of touching the manipulation switch for the zoom drive mechanism and the alignment mechanism by use of the hands. Hence, the operator, when using, e.g., the foot switch, performs a manipulation to align the operation-oriented microscope by installing the foot switch in the vicinity of the operator's foot, i.e., at a lower portion of an operation board on which the patient is laid.
As described above, however, when employing the foot switch, the relatively large foot switch has to be installed in the vicinity of the operator's foot, wherein there is often no allowance in terms of space. Further, a cord has to be arranged to extend from the foot switch to a power supply of the operation-oriented microscope. Therefore, for a convenience of the operation, when altering a positional relationship between the operator and the patient, the foot switch has to be shifted together with the cord. Accordingly a problem arises in which is quite troublesome to the operator.
Additional problems are that in the case of using the voice input device, this input device is highly expensive and, is incapable of distinguishing a subtle difference in pronunciation of the operator, resulting in a possibility to induce a critical manipulation mistake during the operation.